Time Difference Between Central Time and Mountain Time
As of 31 August 2026, Mountain Time is 1 hour behind Central Time. This difference is fixed: neither zone shifts its clocks against the other, so it holds all year.
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Central Time, United States
17:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-5 · CDT · America/Chicago
Mountain Time, United States
-1h16:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-6 · MDT · America/Denver
Mountain Time is 1 hour behind Central Time.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Time | Monday, August 31, 2026 | CDTAmerica/Chicago | UTC-5 | Active now |
| Mountain Time | Monday, August 31, 2026 | MDTAmerica/Denver | UTC-6 | Active now |
Central Time: Covers Chicago, Dallas, Houston and most of the middle of the country. Switches between CST (UTC-6) and CDT (UTC-5) with daylight saving.
Mountain Time: Covers Denver and most of the Rocky Mountain states. Switches between MST (UTC-7) and MDT (UTC-6) with daylight saving — unlike Arizona, which stays on MST year-round.
Hour by hour: Central Time to Mountain Time
Every hour of today in Central Time and what it is in Mountain Time. Highlighted rows fall inside Mountain Time working hours (09:00–18:00).
| Central Time | Mountain Time |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 23:00prev day |
| 01:00 | 00:00 |
| 02:00 | 01:00 |
| 03:00 | 02:00 |
| 04:00 | 03:00 |
| 05:00 | 04:00 |
| 06:00 | 05:00 |
| 07:00 | 06:00 |
| 08:00 | 07:00 |
| 09:00 | 08:00 |
| 10:00 | 09:00 |
| 11:00 | 10:00 |
| Central Time | Mountain Time |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 11:00 |
| 13:00 | 12:00 |
| 14:00 | 13:00 |
| 15:00 | 14:00 |
| 16:00 | 15:00 |
| 17:00 | 16:00 |
| 18:00 | 17:00 |
| 19:00 | 18:00 |
| 20:00 | 19:00 |
| 21:00 | 20:00 |
| 22:00 | 21:00 |
| 23:00 | 22:00 |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
10:00–18:00 in Central Time (09:00–17:00 in Mountain Time)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 8 hours a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
09:00–21:00 in Central Time (08:00–20:00 in Mountain Time)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
Central Time puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-5 to UTC-6. After that date, Mountain Time is on the same time as Central Time — instead of 1 hour behind, as it is today.
Mountain Time puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-6 to UTC-7. The gap between Central Time and Mountain Time stays at 1 hour because both places change at the same time.
Planning something with more than two places?
Adding a third city usually kills the obvious answer. The Meeting Time Finder takes up to five cities at once and shows only the hours that work for everybody.
Central Time and Mountain Time: common questions
What is the time difference between Central Time and Mountain Time?
Mountain Time is 1 hour behind Central Time, and this does not change during the year because the difference between these two zones is fixed.
When it is 9:00 AM in Central Time, what time is it in Mountain Time?
It is 08:00 AM in Mountain Time, United States. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is Mountain Time ahead of or behind Central Time?
Mountain Time is behind Central Time by 1 hour at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in Mountain Time starts and ends later in Central Time terms.
Do Central Time and Mountain Time observe daylight saving time?
Both Central Time and Mountain Time change their clocks, but not on the same dates. That is why the gap is not fixed: across the year, Mountain Time ranges from 1 hour behind to 1 hour behind relative to Central Time.
What is the best time to call Mountain Time from Central Time?
Working hours overlap between 10:00 and 18:00 Central Time time, which is 09:00 to 17:00 in Mountain Time. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for Central Time, United States (UTC-5) and Mountain Time, United States (UTC-6) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.